


It Can't Be True...Can It?

by VicaliW



Category: Peter Kay's Car Share (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:21:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24725938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicaliW/pseuds/VicaliW
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	It Can't Be True...Can It?

“Morning John.”

“Morning Mum, you alright?”

“I’m fine love, it’s you I’m worried about, here’s ya tea” Jan placed the cup of tea on the kitchen table as John say down.

“Ta Mum” he replied as he took a sip.

“So, how longs it been now?”

“How long what’s been?”

“Since you've been here?”

“You know full well its two weeks, why you asking? You hinting something?”

“No, not all love, just worried that its been that long and nothing seems to be changing.”

“Eh?”

Jan sat down opposite John and gave him a knowing look “don't play smart John! Whats going on with you and Kayleigh? I thought you'd have been back home by now?”

“I appreciate your concern Mum, but its between me and Kayleigh” John stood up and took his cup and left the kitchen.

“Are you picking up the kids today?”

“Yes!” he shouted as he was half way up the stairs.

Jan just sighed, worried for her son.

Kayleigh was getting the children ready for their day with John, Harry was now 3 and Molly would be 1 next Saturday. This Saturday John would have the children for the first time for a full day and night since he had been staying at his Mums. He had seen the kids in the last two weeks, mainly in the home he shared with Kayleigh. But it was often strained and awkward, this seemed to be a good arrangement to stop the kids picking up on any tension.

Kayleigh’s phone rang, it was Mandy.

“Hi ya Mand...yep I’ll be round just after 10...he’s picking them up about 9...no it’ll be fine...of course it will...yeah, I’ll call you when I leave here...OK bye...see you later” Kayleigh sighed as she hung up the phone.

Mandy had been worried about Kayleigh the past few weeks. The night John went Mandy had to go round and console Kayleigh all night. Kayleigh sobbed until the early hours. Mandy felt helpless but assumed it would have sorted itself out, but two weeks later, John still wasn’t back and Kayleigh couldn’t explain why.

“You still OK to take Alfie and Chloe out for the day Steve? Just need some quiet time with Kayleigh, see what the hell is happening.”

“Yeah not a problem, I said I’d take them out with John with his two.”

“John, you’re seeing John today? You never said?”

“Well, it was spur of the moment...”

“Well has he said anything to you? Best not tell Kayleigh, might look like you’re taking sides.”

“Taking sides? He’s still part of the family, and it’s not like they’re getting divorced.”

“Not yet they aren’t but it’s been two weeks Steve and he’s still not back with her!! I just can’t work it out nor can Kayleigh, she’s in bits. Has he said anything to you?”

“Not seen him love, only been through messages like.”

“So, you’ve not asked him anything about Kayleigh?”

“No, it’s none of me business.”

“She’s your sister in law Steve! Of course its your business.”

“Well, if he says owt I’ll let you know but I’m not digging before you ask!” Steve knew where Mandy was heading.

“Bloody useless you are...I’m trying to help our Kayleigh and you’re not even bothered.”

“It’s none of our business. It’s their marriage not ours.”

“You didn’t see her that night Steve it was heart-breaking.”

“Well, they’ll have to sort it out between them.”

“I mean why would he just walk out on her like that? He’d just got back from that conference in Birmingham then he just leaves.”

“I’m sure there’s more to it.”

“You know something...”

“Mandy, love, you talk to Kayleigh OK? And I’ll have a chat with John ok?” he said to appease her and kissed her forehead.

“OK, make sure you do, I could strangle him for this. I thought they were rock solid.”

Steve just nodded and left the living room.

John knocked before entering his home.

“Hi, I’m here, OK to come in?”

“Yeah, I’m in the kitchen” Kayleigh replied, her nerves ramping up.

John walked through “hi ya, you OK?”

“Not really John, but what can I do about it eh?” she said coldly.

“Kayleigh...I don’t know what to say, accept...”

“What John?! Tell me why you haven’t come back? Tell me why you can’t give me a reason all this is happening?” Kayleigh was near tears.

“Because...I can’t do this now!” he said frustrated.

“Well when? I can’t go on not knowing what I’ve done wrong?”

“You’ve done nothing, you hear me?”

“Then why John?” she let her tears flow.

“Daddy!” Harry said toddling through.

“Hey ya Champ” John picked him up “you looking forward to staying at Nana’s?”

Harry nodded his head.

“Come on let’s get ya shoes on” John put him down and held his hand into the living room where Molly was laying on the floor in her little baby pen.

“Ah and here’s my girl” John picked her up “you are getting bigger every day aren’t ya? Yes, yes you are!” Molly was laughing and grabbing his face.

Kayleigh looked on, beaming with love for her husband and father of her children.

“John, can’t you come back later and leave the kids with your mum? Even for an hour, we need to sort this? Please.”

John looked at her and sighed, she looked tired, upset and lost, how could he say no.

“Yeah, I’ll erm...I’ll have a chat with me mum and give you a text.”

Kayleigh let out a sigh of relief, finally she thought as she smiled and nodded.

Kayleigh headed straight to Mandy’s after John and the kids left. Mandy had a cuppa and the tissues ready.

“So, is he definitely going to come round later?”

“He said he would text to confirm. God, I hope he does. I just don’t know what’s happened” Kayleigh sobbed “I know we had been a bit tetchy with each other and I’ve been tired and a bit emotional...but we were fine...I think. We had a row before he went to Birmingham, but nothing major.”

“I know you mentioned the row, but what was it about?”

“I don’t even know, just a combination of things...he left the next morning without saying a word.”

“You said though that he had been in touch whilst he was away?”

“Yeah just a message saying he had arrived and then another message on Wednesday saying he would be home Thursday instead. That was it.”

“Look, not sure if i should say this, but he’s seeing Steve today.”

“Steve!? John never said!”

“I did ask Steve to dig but, I got a feeling he knows more already.”

“Great, so Steve knows more about my marriage than I do!”

“He may not, but I was just as surprised as you...”

“I just want him back Mandy, I miss him so much. This morning when he was with the kids, I just wanted to hold him.”

“Does he look as distraught as you?”

“He looked tired, fed up...”

“I’m just speculating here...but do you think he may...you know...”

“What Mandy?”

“Have a bit on the side?”

“What? John?”

“It’s just all a bit odd...it’s the only thing I can think it is.”

“No, no... he wouldn’t! Not John...I mean that thought never crossed my mind...” she cried some more

“Forget I said it, I didn’t mean to upset you sis.”

“What if he has?”

“What would you do?”

“Kill him!” Kayleigh’s response made the sisters laughed.

“Seriously though...what would you do?”

“I don’t know Mandy, apart of me feels if he has I’d just forgive him, but if he has...god...it will never be the same would it?”

Mandy gave a sympathetic smile.

Meanwhile, Steve and John were at the park. Alfie and Chloe were playing with Harry whilst molly was in the Pram with John and Steve.

“Why did you have to tell me John? That night when you phoned, why drag me into this? Couldn’t you have told your Paul or Jim even?”

“I could’ve, I just...dunno...maybe I hoped you’d slip up and tell your Mandy and she’d tell Kayleigh so I wouldn’t have too" John shamefully replied.

“Fucking whimp...you’re lucky we have the kids here as I could hit ya for all this. Mandy's already digging.”

“Did you tell her anything?”

“No I didn’t, this is your mess. You’re gonna have to fess up.”

“I feel sick Steve, I don’t know how I let it happen. When I got in the door that Thursday I couldn’t even look at her, by Friday I couldn’t breathe, when we rowed about my being offish, I just took me chance, kicked off and left.”

“You are a selfish prick, she’s in bits. Mandy was round there after you left Kayleigh wouldn’t stop crying.”

John winced “don’t Steve, I hate meself.”

“Well not as much as Mandy will, not sure bout Kayleigh like.”

John was welling up “it was a onetime mistake; I love Kayleigh so much...I just made a big mistake.”

“You of all people though John, I never thought in a million years you’d do this and you have handled it really badly.”

“I know, I know...god what a f-ing balls up!! I’m gonna tell her later.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah, I should have just kept everything normal and not burdened her with this but as you say I’ve dealt with it so badly, it’s too late.”

“Aye, she blames herself, thinking what has she done wrong...pisses me off listening to her and Mandy knowing it’s you and not her.”

“I know, I know” John put his head in his heads sobbing.

“I don’t feel sorry for ya you know? Everything will change you know that?” Steve stated.

“I know, my marriage is over and it’s all my fault.”

Steve just gave a sympathetic smile but hated himself for it.

John arrived at 7pm to see Kayleigh, he was sweating. He knocked as he entered. Kayleigh called him in to the Kitchen again. She was pouring herself a glass of wine.

They sat down opposite each, Kayleigh fidgeting she was scared, John couldn’t even look her in the eye.

“John, I just want to say, I love you and whatever it is I can fix it.”

“I told ya it’s not you. It’s me and what I’ve done.”

“Whatever it is, I don’t care, well get through it...even if you’ve...”

Kayleigh didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence, John did it for her.

“...I slept with someone else...I’m sorry”

Kayleigh was going to say it in jest, but she felt her whole body fill with anger as she chucked her glass at him that smashed against the wall as he ducked.

Whatever happened next was a blur for them both a lot of shouting and screaming from her to him, in the end John had to grab her before anything else was thrown.

He held her as she broke down and fell to the floor.

“I think I want to be sick” she said tears falling down her face.

John sat on the kitchen floor beside her.

“So do I... I hate meself. I really really hate meself. That’s why I went to me mums I didn’t want to tell ya I thought I could just pretend it never happened. But I couldn’t.”

“Who was it?”

“You don’t need to know that, it won’t help.”

“Do I know her?”

“No!”

“Then tell me?”

“Christ sake...It was a woman called Jen...she was at the conference, she’s an assistant manager in Leeds.”

“How long has it been going on for?”

“Nothing’s been going on...I only met her on the Monday. It was a one off, a big mistake...”

“So, when did it happen?”

“Kayleigh, you don’t need to torture yourself with the details”

“Don’t pretend it’s me you’re protecting John! Tell me!” Kayleigh was flaring up again.

“Tuesday night” John said sheepishly.

“Tell me what happened?”

“We just got on; she likes conferences as much as I do. We had a laugh you know? Just pally like.”

“Was she pretty?”

“Kayleigh...”

“Was she pretty?” Kayleigh asked forcefully. 

“Yes, she was pretty.”

“How old was she?”

“Fuck sake...Why are you doing this?

“Because I need to know why my loving husband and father to our children slept with someone else.”

“But knowing her age makes no difference....” John sighed and relented at Kayleigh’s death stare “...she was 28” John said embarrassed.

“So, she was young and pretty? So why was she interested in you, a middle aged, overweight, married man? Did she know you were married?”

“Yes.”

“So how did this happen?”

“I was annoyed you know after our row; she was upset as she just split up with her boyfriend. We had a drink...”

“You had a drink? But you don’t drink! So, are you saying you were drunk? And that’s why this happened?”

“I wish I could say I was, but I wasn’t, I knew exactly what I was doing. I only drank coke.”

“Was she drunk?”

“No! What do you take me for?!”

“Loyal...but I got that wrong eh?”

“She wasn’t drunk, she doesn’t drink either.”

“Well aren’t you the perfect pair?” Kayleigh snidely added.

“One thing led to another and well...you know the rest I don’t need to explain it.”

“Who made the first move?”

“You really want to know?” John was getting tetchy.

“Yes!” she almost screamed. 

“I did! Do you feel better? I held her in my arms to say goodnight as I walked her to her room and she looked at me in a way that I felt I wanted to kiss her...so I chanced it. I thought I’d get a slap, but she kissed me back and then we were suddenly in her room, in her bed! Is that what you want to hear!” John was getting angry, not at Kayleigh but with himself, he hated explaining to her how badly he let her down.

Kayleigh just cried, she had no more energy to be angry or even get up off the floor.

“Sorry Kayleigh, I wish I could take it back, but I can’t. It was just a big mistake.”

Kayleigh composed herself and her thoughts.

“Hang on, if this happened on Tuesday, the last day of the conference what happened the next day...you were meant to be home Wednesday?”

“Fucking hell, do we have to do this?”

“Yes, we fucking do!” she suddenly had a burst of energy as she slowly pieced together what had happened.

“We stayed another night.”

Kayleigh slapped him in the face and kept hitting him.

“You said it was a one off!! A big mistake!! You bastard, you lying fucking bastard!!”

John grabbed Kayleigh’s wrists as she was still swinging at him “I’m sorry! I’m so fucking sorry!” John sobbed as Kayleigh escaped his grip.

“So, you slept with her more than the one time?”

“Yeah, yeah I did” Replied a mortified John.

“So, you still seeing her? Are you in contact with her?”

“No, look I probably felt confident, like I could have an affair and continue seeing her, but as soon as I came home. I knew I couldn’t. I love you.”

“Why do it then? Why!?”

“I thought you’d had enough of me, I thought you weren’t interested in me anymore. She gave me some attention and like the pathetic bastard that I am I let my ego take over.”

“I hate you!! Get out!! GET OUT!! I HATE YOU! GET OUT...”

“Kayleigh, Kayleigh, wake up love, you’re dreaming, wake up.”

Kayleigh suddenly jolted looked around and saw John.

“You OK love? You’ve been lashing about screaming? You having a nightmare?”

“Oh God John” she hugged him tight and cried.

“Eh, what’s all this?” he hugged her back concerned.

“I dreamt you’d left me and was living with your mum and then you told me you left as you cheated on me with someone from the conference and you’d told Steve before you told me.”

“Oh, blimey love. It’s OK, it was just a dream” he hugged her tighter.

“It was so awful.”

“Who did I cheat on you with then?” John jovially asked.

“I dunno, some 28-year-old called Jen...she was pretty or so you told me.”

“A pretty 28-year-old eh? I should be so lucky...” he laughed but noticed Kayleigh wasn’t impressed “too soon?”

Kayleigh smiled in the end.

“It was horrible John, honestly, it was scary as you’d left and you didn’t tell me why so I thought it was my doing and then when you did tell me I was so angry.”

John looked at her “it was just a dream; I’d never cheat on you.”

“I’m sorry about the row yesterday.”

“What row?” John was puzzled before he thought about it “Oh you mean the slight disagreement about me not wanting to go to your Mums at the weekend. You know we’ll end up going. It was hardly a row.”

“In my dream we had had a row before you went to the conference.”

“Ah, and as I’m off to said conference in about 4 hours, you thought your dream may come true?” he smiled.

“Something like that.”

John smiled at her “Kayleigh, I love you, no row or other woman will ever come between us okay?”

“You don’t know how relieved I am it was just a dream, felt so real you know?”

“Well, Mrs Redmond, as I have 4 hours before I have to hit the road, and the kids are sound asleep, how about you make my dreams come true eh?” he winked and kissed her.

“Oh, like that is it Mr Redmond, you think you can get away with dream cheating on me with your charms, do you?”

“Oh I think so...don’t you?”

They laughed before they passionately embraced.

After a wonderful early morning love making session with Kayleigh, John made his way to Birmingham, dreading being away from his wife and kids for 2 nights.

In the conference reception area John was helping himself to the complimentary orange juice, when he heard a voice from behind.

“God, I hate these things, don’t you?”

“Aye not my favourite events, could think of better things to do and places to be” he smiled at the young lady.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m so rude, I’m Jen by the way...”

The End.


End file.
